Portable metal and earth separator



March 18, 1958 GRAVES 2,827,170

PORTABLE METAL AND EARTH SEPARATOR Filed July 14, 1955 Forresi' G.Graves INVENTOR Wil i a ATTORNEYS.

United States harem PORTABLE METAL AND EARTH SEPARATOR Forrest GlennGraves, Glendale, Calif. Application July 14, 1955, Serial No. 522,055

1 Claim. (Cl. 209-347) This invention relates to a portable metal andearth separator and to certain novel features of construction therein.

Heretofore, the equipment used in the separation of metals from theirores and earthy impurities of lesser density, when in finally divided orpulverized form, has been either primitive, if portable, or cumbersomeand unwieldy. The latter is impractical to use in small scale operationsin the field at the mining site, such as in placer mining. Ordinarily,portable equipment is slow and the quantity handled is small, withefliciency of separation not too high.

An object of this invention is to provide a light, portable separator,which is efficient and easily handled by a single operator, yetseparates the material in larger quantities and faster than is usuallythe case.

Another object of this invention is the provision of such a separator ina form which is simply constructed of common materials, easily assembledand taken apart for carrying, durable and reliable.

The further object is the provision of support means for the separatorwhich increases its usefulness and at the same time relieves theoperator of much physical labor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent inthe body of the specification and claim.

One embodiment of the invention is herein described and illustrated.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of my metal and earth separator;

Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof partly in section, along a center line;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the separator and mount along section line 33of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an end View in section, of the separator along section line 44of Fig. 2.

My portable separator consists essentially of four parts: the supportstand, operating spring, screening frame, and operating gear.

The support stand has a broad base 1 on the top center of which, anupwardly extending guide rod 2 of metal, such as steel, is mounted, asby threading at its lower end into the base. On the upper section of therod 2 a closely fitting sleeve stop 3 is detachably mounted. This stop 3is conventional and may be a section of tubing with a radially placedset screw to engage the rod 2.

A stout spring member 4 of coil spring brass or other suitable metal ismounted on the rod 2 with lower end bearing on a flanged ferrule 5, withupstanding grommet, which is slidably mounted on rod 2. This ferruleseats on stop 3. A wooden spool 6 is mounted on rod 2, within spring 4in order to correctly space the spring from the guide rod and align it.On top of spring 4 is seated a second ferrule 7 with grommet extendingdownwardly.

The operating gear consists of a tubular guide 8, connected to thescreening frame 9, and handle in. The tubular guide is threadablyconnected at its lower end to a flanged ferrule 11, which is fastened toa cross bar 32, which extends crosswise, midway of screening frame 9 andtilted to one side. This guide 8 extends upwardly through the screeningframe passage 24 and is mounted on and slides over guide rod 2. Theguide rod 8 is threaded at its upper end and is connected to a T fitting13 with a bearing surface through it for the rod 2. Extendinghorizontally from the T and fixed to it is the handle it) for theoperator. Connected also, in an obvious manher, to the handle is avertical pipe section 14 and connections ending in a pipe T 15 withsuitable passage through it for guide rod 2. Upper pipe T 15 isconnected to the second or upper ferrule '7 or bears against it. Thisassembly, Fig. 2, gives an offset section, bearing on guide rod 2 at twospace points 13 and 15, which limit the up and down slide of theoperating gear on guide rod 2. Coil spring 4 is under compression,inasmuch as it carries the weight of all moving parts. The reaction ofthis spring is downward on flanged ferrule 5 which abuts against andrests on stop 3. Vertical pipe section 14 should be somewhat less inlength than necessary to keep T fitting 1'3 abutting upwardly againstthe bottom of stop 3.

The screening frame 9 is rectangular in shape, tilted, with upstandingsides of Wood or sheet metal. An upwardly extending section 1-5 is fixedto the inner side of the frame wall at the bottom edge of the frame.Fixed in ection 1-6 are V-shaped troughs 17, arranged in spaced relationwith ends anchored in the two long sides of section 16. Seated on thesection 16 is a screeneing tray 13 with side and end walls 19. Fixed tothe top of the walls 19 is the screen of meshed material 20 in sections,as seen in Fig. 3, the finest being at the upper end in Fig. 2 andcoarsest at the right or lower end. Tray 13 has across its bottom acorrugated catcher pan 21 fixed to the walls 19. This pan is of sheetmetal and preferably galvanized. The corrugations extend in the samedirection as do t -shaped troughs 17. A V- shaped trough is locatedbelow the bottom of each corrugation of pan 21. in the bottom of eachcorrugation is a series of holes 22, closely spaced and extending thefull length of the corrugation. Between the mesh material 2 3 andcatcher pan 21 is one or more headers 23, extending also in the samedirection as the corrugations. Header 23 is fixed at its ends to walls19 and is positioned between two adjacent corrugations and betweensections of the meshed material 29.

f. tending across the bottom of screening frame 9 is the beam or crossbar 12 flat and tilted upward to the right side as seen in Fig. 2. Beami2 is fixed at its ends to side walls 36 and is located between twoV-shaped troughs. At mid-length of beam 12 is the inner threaded flangedferrule ll, which threads on the lower end of tubular guide 8. On thecenter line of screening frame 9 and near mid-length of pan 21 and meshmaterial 20 is a circular passage 24 through which extends tubular guide3. When screening frame 9 is mounted for use it is tilted downwardly tothe right as seen in Fig. 3, due to the tilting of beam 12 and thedirection of passage 24.

Assembly .Screenint tray 23 is seated in screening frame 9 and guide rod2 attached to base 1 is passed upwardly through beam and passage 24.Tubular guide 8, T fitting 13 and handle it? assembled at a unit arepassed over guide rod 2 and the lower end of guide 3 is threaded intoflanged ferrule 11. Screening frame 9 is resting on base 1. Stop 3 isnow passed onto guide rod 2 followed by Z ferrule 5, spool 6, spring 4and upper ferrule 7. Pipe T 15 isthenpassed onto the guide rod-2 andpressed downwardly against ferrule 7' with its grommet centered inspring 4, while vertical pipe-section 14 is threaded into position;Handle 10 is now raised to the desired height carrying with it all themovable parts, and the set screw on stop 3 is turned to-bear tightlyagainst guide rod 2.

Use and operation Ore material is placed on screening tray 18, on theupper end of fine meshed section 20. The operator presses down on handle10 as far as desired andlets itlreturn' under the pressure of the spring4'. T fitting 13 strikes stop 3 producing a sudden jar and agitation,causing the finelydivide'd ore material to sift downwardly through thefin'eriieshed screen 20'and the coarser particle's't'o shift by gravitytowardsthe-l ower end of the screening tray, Where theyWill'pass'through coarser sections of'the meshed material 20; Thisaggregate col lects'inthe' troughs of catcher pan 21' and passes byagitatio'n through holes 22 into V-shaped troughs 17 below. The quickreciprocation in a vertical plane, jarring and agitating the material inthe troughs causes the metal particles of greater density to quicklysettle to'the bottom. As the troughs l7 fill, the jarringat the upperend of the reciprocation, causes the lighter material and sand to' spillover and drop below. This operation is continued until itis desired torecover the metal particlesfrom the troughs. This is done aftercontinuing the vertical reciprocation of the handle for a short timewith no ore on meshed material 20. This causes a spilling of most of thesand and waste material from the V- shaped troughs.

The device is turned to one side over a large tub and shaken severaltimes vigorously. The collected metal particles drop out to the bottom.The device is easily operscreen structure fixed relative to said slide,a spring constantly urging said slide and screen structureupwardly, acorrugated tray below said screen structure, said tray havingopenings inthe valleysof the corrugm tions thereoiand\l sh'aped collecting troughsbelow said openings.

References Cited in theme of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS?1,282,127 Richardson 0a. 2. 19 1s:

